President Biden does not lament his decision to step aside and let Vice President Kamala Harris lead the Democratic ticket into November, the White House said Wednesday.
Mr. Biden’s press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, was responding to former President Donald Trump, who mused on social media that Mr. Biden would crash the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and try to reclaim the nomination.
“The president is proud of his decision,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
Mr. Biden dropped out in July after weeks of hand-wringing among Democrats about his advanced age and poor debate performance in late June.
Mr. Trump suggested the nomination was taken from Mr. Biden by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others.
“He feels that he made a historically tragic mistake by handing over the U.S. Presidency, a COUP, to the people in the World he most hates, and he wants it back, NOW!!!” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday.
Ms. Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden dropped out to unify the party and pass the torch to a new generation of leaders.
“It wasn’t because of lack of stamina,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said. “He believed that he could have continued to do this job another four years.”
Since Mr. Biden dropped out, Ms. Harris has been polling better in key swing states against Mr. Trump than the president had performed.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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